European Journal of Protistology ( IF 1.9 ) Pub Date : 2021-07-05 , DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2021.125823 Wenbao Zhuang 1 , Song Li 1 , Yang Bai 1 , Tengteng Zhang 1 , Khaled A S Al-Rasheid 2 , Xiaozhong Hu 1
The morphology and molecular phylogeny of a new metopid ciliate, Urostomides spinosus nov. spec., discovered in a freshwater ditch in Qingdao, China, were investigated using live observation, morphometry and protargol staining as well as molecular phylogenetic methods. Diagnostic features of the new species include a broadly obpyriform body carrying three posterior spines, eight somatic kineties, five preoral dome kineties with specialized row 3, adoral zone composed of about 28 membranelles, making a 270° turn around body axis. Phylogenetic analyses of the SSU rDNA sequence revealed that the genus Urostomides is monophyletic, but its interspecific relationships remained unresolved. Moreover, a closer relationship of the new species with the morphologically similar Urostomides campanula was not supported by the molecular data.